went on to inspire yet another crew
including Arlington County Deputy Executive Kenneth L.
Chandler, and Richmond Chief Administrative Officer William
Harrell. There are dozens of others in this not so exclusive
club, but getting to know even a few of them was and continues
to be a truly inspirational experience. Bob Taylor and Clint
Strong in particular taught us more about local government than
any post graduate course on the subject.
Another way we picked up what was going on
in localities and state government was by actually visiting people
where they lived and worked, instead of waiting to see them at
conferences or during the General Assembly sessions. There we
learned about the quaint politeness of rural Virginians. In
Abingdon, men tipped their hats or caps if you were walking or
driving. The first time this happened I almost hit the car in front
of me. In Pulaski County, they baked coffee cake and other
delicacies and we enjoyed an evening social. In Scott County
they asked us if we were politicians. They said they usually
didn’t see folks in their part of the state from over to
Richmond way unless they were hunting for people’s votes.
We were invited into people’s homes wherever we went, and
enjoyed local foods and customs like the Crab Carnival in West
Point, the sounds and sights (and mud) of the Fiddlers’ Convention
in Galax.
We have also gotten an insider’s
look into historical treasures all over the Commonwealth.
Former Pulaski County Administrator Joe Morgan promised
we’d climb into the belfry of the courthouse. We thought
it would have a nice elevator or other convenient device for
ascending to the heights overlooking the county seat. We
thought wrong. Would you believe I wore high
heels? Not only was it a primitive, almost
entirely vertical ladder straight up, but Joe kept cheerfully
assuring me of the possibility of being introduced to some of
the indigenous species of bats on our way. In hindsight, we
can’t think of anyone nicer to have bats in their belfry
than Joe Morgan.
Another odd experience was going to a
rocket launch on the Eastern Shore with Accomack County
Supervisor Laura Belle Gordy. It was exciting until the weather
changed sud-
denly and out of nowhere, 60 mile an hour winds started gusting and torrential rains pelted us with golf ball sized hail. It was a “there goes the hair” day from that moment on. On the way back to the courthouse (the rocket was not launched due to the weird weather) on one side of the car, it was dark and stormy, and on the other it was sunny and lovely. Laura Belle assured me this was normal for the Eastern Shore.
denly and out of nowhere, 60 mile an hour winds started gusting and torrential rains pelted us with golf ball sized hail. It was a “there goes the hair” day from that moment on. On the way back to the courthouse (the rocket was not launched due to the weird weather) on one side of the car, it was dark and stormy, and on the other it was sunny and lovely. Laura Belle assured me this was normal for the Eastern Shore.
Getting to know the mechanisms of the
General Assembly was a snap when we began because there were hugely
elaborate blow outs during the session at the big ballroom
hotels in Richmond where the bourbon and favors flowed for
days. Today lobbyists have tempered their extravagances with
very few exceptions. The few little amusements that are thrown
around town are now attended primarily by staff of the
legislators. Somehow it’s not the same.
There are strong memories of the sight of
scores of lobbyists and legislators marching into the west wing
entrance of the Capitol. From the back they looked like a sea
of tall, gray haired men wearing long black coats. From that
angle, everyone looked like Governor Gerald Baliles for a few
years. It was apparently the uniform. Fortunately, today the actors
in the drama we call our Gen
